


The Catacombs of Asphodel

by SeverNSkull



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cave-In, Demonic Beasts, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Time Skip, Stalked by Monsters, Violence, Whump, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:20:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28990605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeverNSkull/pseuds/SeverNSkull
Summary: While on a class trip pursuing bandits that are desecrating the holy grounds of Zanado, the Black Eagles are lured into a trap, causing a cave-in that traps both Ferdinand and Hubert within the maze of catacombs beneath. Now, with unspeakable horrors lurking around every corner, the pair must either team up and learn to work together or die. However, not all is as it seems in this place and perhaps Hubert knows more than he's let on about what exactly sits beneath the Red Canyon.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir & Hubert von Vestra, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	The Catacombs of Asphodel

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so sorry about this. I really needed a serotonin boost so I decided to post this without finishing the second half. Please forgive me! And as this is my first Fire Emblem fic that I'm actually gotten this far with, please let me know if you liked it! Thank you very much!

The mission started just as ‘most any other ought to, with the valiant leaders of the team, the Professor and Edelgard, leading the class in an assault against a small band of cutpurses and rogues that preyed upon merchants and other assorted travelers journey to and from Garreg Mach Monastery. 

But when the Black Eagles had arrived on the scene, they found their assignment was a bit more complicated than that as a storm began to roll overhead, shading them with rumbling, blackened clouds. It was sure to rain at any moment now and a lot at that, if the flashes of bright light followed closely by roars of thunder, were anything to go by.

Had they been out in the open, the group would have been in for a predicament of a battle, the mud impeding their movements and the typically unflappable brawler in their gang shaken by every clap overhead. But bless the Goddess, they were in Zanado, an ancient city that was now no more than a collection of ruins, of which the bandit leader had the foresight to apparently hole up in.

It was a sensible decision and to boot wasn’t too unusual for thieves to hide upon discovery anyhow. Without much deliberation and weighing the benefits against the odds, the Eagles went ahead and pursued their marks inside, staying vigilant for any sign of danger hidden within the walls of the ruin.

Upon entering, outpacing the rain within moments, it took a mere glance over the halls to note that the overgrown, dilapidated structure felt  _ off, _ foreboding in a way that none of the group could put their finger on, but other than that, the building didn’t seem to be harboring any obvious traps. So marching forward, armed with gear and torches, the Black Eagles were ready to take on whatever challenges their foes forced upon them.

Every footfall cast an echo through the aging halls of the ruin, drawing attention and apprehension from every one of the Eagles as the group pushed forward. With every step, it felt nearly as though the very walls were assessing them as they went further and further into the ruin.

The tension was high and all of the students on edge with Bernadetta getting the worst of it all, trembling like a leaf in the wind. Even Caspar didn’t see fit to comment on the looming blackness of the ruins, and to boot, the most confident member of their group, Ferdinand von Aegir had his shoulders tensed as he held his iron lance at the ready, amber eyes scanning the path ahead for any sign of movement in the darkness. In fact, the mood was so utterly grim that despite the fact that Hubert was near to his right, following closely behind Edelgard, he couldn’t bring to light a single complaint. Though had this been under other circumstances, he would have undoubtedly commented on their predicament already.

For a long while, as the entrance slowly grew further and further away, nothing eventful happened; the class simply continued to tread forward with growing apprehension, straining their senses to hear their prey in the darkness as howling winds could be heard whipping past cracks and moss-covered crevices in the structure. The torches that some of the group members bore burned steadily, beacons in the darkness as they carried on in packs.

Leading the group was Byleth, holding a torch between herself and the House Leader, Edelgard, both diligent and courageously pushing forward. Second in line were Hubert and Ferdinand not far behind but keeping their distance from the other as the former scanned ahead for any assessable threat. Not to be outdone, Ferdinand was doing much the same, his expression taut with determination. Next were Linhardt and Caspar, the healer quietly looking over the glyphs that marked every expanse of the wall while the short-statured grappler was practically trembling with anticipation of the upcoming fight. Last were Dorothea, Petra, and Bernadetta, the petite archer huddling close to her teammates with an occasional low but panicked whimper.

With everyone so absorbed in watching for attacks from eye-level, no one had noticed the smooth knob protruding from the floor until Ferdinand had the misfortune of tripping over it, stumbling forward, catching himself in-time, but rather unfortunately for the entirety of the group, the damage had already been done. 

A resounding click could be heard by all as they glanced at the fiery-haired noble. “Oops?” He uttered sheepishly, looking between the Professor and his House Leader, pointedly ignoring the sharp, murderous glare Hubert shot him.

“Are you alright?” Byleth asked, regarding him with an ounce of concern peering through her plain expression.

He nodded curtly as he righted himself. “It is nothing that I cannot handle.”

A relieved but irritated sigh escaped Edelgard as she allowed herself to relax, just as concerned as the Professor had been. “In the future, Ferdinand, please try to watch where you step,” she suggested, an air of authority in her tone that made it clear that this was also an order.

“Of course, Edelgard. Consider it done and tenfold at that!” He chirped in resolute response. There was no way he’d make the same mistake again, though he did hazard a glance out of the corner of his eye to see Hubert’s narrowed, viperous eye peering at him maliciously in the torchlight glow around him. It took quite a bit of self-control to keep himself from shrinking away from him, but he would not cow down before someone like him. He had to be strong for Edelgard and to one day be her loyal advisor. 

After the ginger had been almost thoroughly berated, however, Linhardt spoke up. 

“I don’t mean to interrupt your _'interesting'_ conversation, but I hardly think that  _ that _ is a good sound,” he commented, prompting the entirety of the group to strain their ears to listen, hearing stone scraping slowly on stone just as the glyphs in the walls began to glow all around them.

“That doesn’t look good either,” Dorothea called from the back, shaken, and punctuated by Bernadetta’s nearly incomprehensible squeals of fright.

“We are being tricked,” Petra stated, firmly pouting.

“Oh, man. We haven’t even gotten to the good part yet,” Caspar complained loudly with a groan, having wanted to track down their enemies more than any of his Housemates.

At this point, Ferdinand was beginning to feel like a courtly fool, though blessedly the group’s current scenario had drawn the murderous intent away from him as Hubert looked to their House Leader for her guidance.

“I will  _ not _ lose anyone here today. Professor, let’s get out of here,” the House Leader firmly suggested to which Byleth hastily agreed with a stern nod. “Then hurry everyone! To the exit!” She ordered, her great axe at the ready in case the trap they had stumbled into sprung any other surprises upon them, and without any further prompting, the whole of the Black Eagle squad were well on their way toward the entrance just as the glyphs began to pulsate with whatever magic lay within the ruin’s veins. 

“Only you could have gotten us into such a situation,” Hubert sneered, running beside Ferdinand, his discontent and ire pouring off of him as they fled.

With a pout, Ferdinand continued on as part of the pack but was of course drawn to respond. “It was not intentional, Hubert! And to that, you have not any more to say on the matter as I did not see you searching underfoot either!”

“I hadn’t the misfortune of setting off said trap,” Hubert scoffed, bluntly pointing out Ferdinand’s folly.

Enlivened and irritated, Ferdinand decided to shoot back with yet another retort. “Well you--!” 

“For the life of you two, please leave the arguing until we’re out of here,” Edelgard ordered, cutting off Ferdinand and inadvertently rescuing him from whatever unbecoming insult had been about to grace his lips with poison. 

Hubert would have very much liked that but Ferdinand would not give him the satisfaction, instead assuring their leader of his obedience. “Of course! I’ll be happy to continue this once we are all to safety!” 

He could practically feel Hubert’s eyes glaze over and the wordless, implied insult that he had swallowed at his lady’s behest. 

Though after the small quarrel, the Eagles didn’t have much time before the trap was finally sprung.

High segments of wall mechanically parted and revealed large pendulum blades, untouched by the passage of time and shimmering with the same ethereal glow that emanated from the rest of the structure. Within moments of being revealed, dozens of blades swung, leaving little to no room for the students to dodge, forcing them to defend themselves against the contraptions.

All at once, the pendulums swept towards the class and each were called to arms.

“Here we go!  **_Hyaaaaaaaah!”_ ** Caspar, who was overjoyed to finally punch  _ something _ practically threw himself at the closest axe, smashing it into hundreds of pieces in a brutal yet effective display of his power. Linhardt managed to stay close enough behind the eager, young brawler to avoid having to defend himself from any of the contraptions.

Dorothea, Bernadetta, and Petra dealt with their own in much the same way, though not nearly as flashy as their blue-haired, energetic companion. With elegant grace and a clash of her blade, Petra managed to hold back one of the enormous blades with a clash of her blade as she swept past, scraping her sword against it with a flurry of sparks, letting up as she slipped through, careful not to let her blade be shattered by such use. 

Just ahead of her, Dorothea and Bernadetta were dealing with their own issues. 

The skittish Bernadetta had panic-shot several arrows into the joint of the pendulum, absolutely terrified but the arrows simply glanced off of it. Thankfully she managed to slip out of the way with a frantic plea, clinging close to Dorothea who shattered her own confronting pendulum with a blast of her ‘Thunder’ spell before any damage could be done to herself or the companions at her side.

Meanwhile, at the head of the group, both Byleth and Edelgard easily parried their own attacking blades, the professor with a swipe of an iron blade and the petite House Leader with shows of such expertise and power that it’d be hard to top, felling the pendulums to the ruin’s floor with a tremendous clatter. 

Not to be outdone, Ferdinand was determined to show off his own strength and skill just as the others had before him. He had of course gotten them into this situation, though additionally and much more importantly, he needed to showcase just how reliable in the face of danger that he could be. For Edelgard and for House Aegir! 

Amid the other chaos that was occurring in the corridors of the dilapidated temple the group stood in, Ferdinand positioned himself resolutely before the incoming axe, queuing up the fantastic glow of his instilled Crest, the lively evergreen glow of the Crest of Cichol taking shape before him, golden eyes focused solely on his goal. However, something drew his attention, stopping him in his tracks and pulling his gaze away.

A few paces away, Hubert was dealing with his own offending pendulum, swinging down towards him. He shot a blast of acidic, violet miasma toward the trap, once then twice but the axe seemed to soak up both attacks as if they were nothing at all. Not even an inconvenience.

Without thinking, Ferdinand’s legs moved on their own, aborting his own attack completely. He could barely register just what had happened until he felt the ‘whoosh’ of an enormous blade pass near him, the air knocked out of his lungs as he bodily hit the stone floor below. But despite having narrowly evaded death and defeated the bulk of behemoth blades, the ruins continued to tremble, tiny pebbles vibrating upon the stone floor in a worrying manner until the glyphs upon the walls extinguished themselves where the axe had struck, giving way to a large crack that began its path to swallowing all. 

Ferdinand vaguely heard the others call out in shock as their voices grew further and further away. Immediately, the reality of the situation became clear as both he and Hubert plummeted into the dark depths below with a terrified cry, but the fall was not kind.

Mossy rock fell around them, pelleting them painfully as they dropped until at long last, they crashed to the floor of yet another corridor, becoming bruised and battered somewhere in the dark. Unable to see, Ferdinand could only rely on his hearing, detected an agonized yell from Hubert in the dark, but before he had the opportunity to lend his hand, a sharp pain blossomed in his head as he was struck with fallen debris and he knew no more.

* * *

When he had finally awoken, Ferdinand’s head ached with a dull pain that rang out and dampened the sound around him and blurred his vision while he slowly regained his senses. There was no way to tell what hour of the day it was nor where he was at the moment as all sense of time and direction was swallowed up by the all-consuming darkness. 

He could not remember where exactly he was at first until through the throbbing of his skull, he began to register all the various other aches and pains upon his person. That settled his momentary musing of whether he was still alive or not as he began to pick himself up from the debris, straining to regain some footing in the darkness without somehow snapping his ankle. But apart from the haze of his own actions and the sharp, ever-present ring that echoed in the back of his mind, he was somehow able to pick up the sounds of someone -- or something -- else shrouded in the darkness.

Cautiously, Ferdinand paused, unsure whether the newcomer was an ally or a foe as his mind struggled to recall what had happened to place him here. As much as he would have liked, he was not in the proper shape to take part in a battle, nor did he have a weapon on him to defend himself, yet his pride would not let him falter.

“Who’s there? Reveal yourself!” He demanded squinting into the unknown as his eyes attempted to adjust to the darkness, his voice wavering slightly as his parched throat made itself known. 

His voice echoed off the walls of whatever chamber he stood in until all that was left was unanswering silence that was certainly maddening. There could be any number of things lurking in the shadows, watching him, picking their way over to the young noble to devour him or maim him, finishing off what work the ruins had left, and Ferdinand could only clench his jaw as he stood his ground. 

Perhaps if there was a beast, they did not divine his location from that short call. Maybe if he stood still enough whatever it was would leave him be and move on. Or perhaps it was simply the stone settling into place after the collapse? 

Stone moved over stone yet again in the ceaseless dark but as Ferdinand strained his ears to listen, he picked up the distinctive sound of claws clicking over the rubble, moving closer in the darkness but as echoes bounced around the room, Ferdinand was unable to determine from exactly where. He was at the beast’s mercy as it stalked him in the pitch-black cloak of the corridor.

Terror began to gnaw and burrow its way into his being, sapping away whatever thoughts had come to mind only moments before. He could not simply let himself be killed by his unseen opponent. He had to flee. He had to get away. He had to. He simply had to.

Stumbling forward in the dark over some debris, Ferdinand picked a direction and began to shove himself forward, climbing over fallen stone in his daring attempt to escape with the sound of claws scraping over the rubble picking up just as he. It made his heart pound painfully in the confines of his chest, his breathing picking up as he fled. Though it was a comfort in the moment that at least he was not running towards the beast but away from its undoubtedly hungry maw.

Closer and closer it seemed to get and with his vision as impaired as it was in the looming dark, the fear that he felt had him scrambling to gain every foothold he could in the search to lose his pursuer, but to no avail. For every one step he managed to take, the echoes of the unseen abyss told him that the beast took two, keeping a steady pace. 

It was fruitless. Hopeless. He would die in this dark, horrible place having never proven himself or his ideals. He would simply be the son of a nobleman that never amounted to anything at all. He would be nothing but the dead son of a nobleman. Unbeloved and unremembered. 

His confidence was gone, leaving only the ceaseless fear and frantic, muddled thinking. Ferdinand simply could not move fast enough to outrun whatever monster was chasing him and the best he could hope for was to keep running and hope that somehow, through the Goddess’s will or by sheer luck, that either the creature would give up or he’d lose it somewhere in the dark, but neither seemed very likely. It had pursued him this far and it was only getting closer now. 

At the peak of his despair, with the creature on his tail, a gaunt, ghastly face like that of Death itself glowed in a dark, ethereal light, the being’s eyes sinister shadows as they sent an orb of malicious light bolting toward him in the blackness.

Ferdinand hadn’t the foresight to duck or dodge out of the way, his reactions slowed by the ache of his whole body and soul. Perhaps Death meant to harvest his soul quickly and painlessly rather than subject him to the horrors of being eaten after such a prolonged and frightening chase. But to his surprise, the blast avoided him entirely, instead hitting something only mere meters away from him, encompassing a monstrous silhouette about twice the size of a grown man in a halo of acridic light that drew a long, horrible howl from the beast making it whip and writhe in pain. 

The stench of chemicals that burned Ferdinand’s nose filled the cave as he could hear the creature’s flesh sizzle, but as much as the cave was illuminated by the spell that the deathly figure had cast, he could not get a good look at the creature or of the extent of the spell’s damage. Though regardless, the damage must have been too great for the creature to withstand as it turned hide and scurried off somewhere into the darkness.

As the beast retreated and the light of the magic that had been cast left upon its fur, Ferdinand was plunged back into the stifling shroud of night once more. Relief began to set over him as his life was spared. Exhaustion fell upon him though his body remained stiff and alert, on-edge as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He certainly wasn’t going to be calm any time soon, not with that  _ thing _ lurking who knows where and certainly not without a weapon to defend himself with.

But that could be dealt with later, as it certainly wasn’t coming back, at least not immediately after nearly being cooked alive in its own skin. For the moment, he would have to reunite with his classmate whose magic was unmistakable.

“Hubert?” He murmured in the direction where he had last seen the man hiding in the darkness.

When an answer didn’t come immediately, he shuffled nervously, preparing to flee yet again until the silence was at long last broken.

“Your lack of perception never fails to astound me. It’s a wonder that you’re still alive,” the dark mage’s voice poured out, fluid and low, if not a little strained, in the shadows, ridiculing Ferdinand as he always seemed to do.

Where a retort would have usually rolled off his tongue with ease, Ferdinand could only settle and offer a tired smile that his companion could not see. Normally he despised every venom-laced word out of Hubert’s mouth but after the most recent turn of events, his insults seemed a comfort in this world of ceaseless night. Stranger, it gave him hope, hearing Hubert’s voice and bitter criticisms.

“You saved my life just now,” Ferdinand said with bafflement in his voice as he stood mulling it over, saying the words aloud to clear up the gnarled thoughts in his mind. In a way, it seemed to surprise him, as he had never considered the idea of Hubert lifting a finger to help anyone other than his beloved liege.

“Indeed,” Hubert grunted, shifting rubble in the darkness before alighting an incantation within the cage of his palm, the soft violet glow revealing a pained expression on his normally impassive features. “If it’s not too much trouble, perhaps you could return the favor by freeing me before that abomination returns,” he hissed.

“Free you?” The ginger curiously pondered aloud as he scanned the dim light for what troubled his companion, his hazy eyes raking down Hubert’s battered, dusty uniform until settling on a large stone that held the mage’s legs trapped beneath it. It looked quite heavy, but not more so than he could handle if he honestly tried.

Carefully, as to not trip himself in the darkness, he ambled over and crouched before the obstacle that kept his unlikely companion trapped beneath. Squatting down, he eased his fingers beneath the debris and prepared to lift.

“You’re not really going to go about it that way, are you?” 

A flame of annoyance began to lick at the back of Ferdinand’s mind, painting a frown across his lips, but before he could form a response, Hubert let out a bitter sigh and continued.

“If you’re going to lever it up, I’ll need a moment to slip myself free.”

Even in Ferdinand’s poor state, that was quite obvious and the entire point of this exercise. His pout did not leave him as he brought his thoughts to light.

“Quite true, but it felt necessary to inform you since I believe one of my legs to be broken,” Hubert stated with a derisive, strained chuckle. 

Ah. That could prove to be a worrisome development. 

Ferdinand himself had already had some trouble getting around, his body feeling both heavy and unwieldy as his mind refused to put any of his thoughts together in any coherent fashion. Having to chaperone his generally loathsome and stubborn classmate with whatever bloodthirsty, demonic beast lurked in these halls might be the end of him without a weapon to wield. But, in his favor, he was not afraid of such a challenge, or any challenge, as vexing as this one seemed to already be. 

“Worry not, Hubert,” the ginger assured him as he gripped the ridge of the stone, mentally ticking off a countdown in his head. “I will provide the utmost care.”

“How utterly reassuring,” Hubert commented dryly, but Ferdinand refused to throw another retort his way, focusing purely on his task before heaving the slab of rock upward with a grunt of exertion. 

It took Hubert a few moments to begin clawing his way out, leaving the pair of them in total darkness with only Ferdinand’s panting and the scrape of the mage’s body moving over rubble, trying to bite back gasps and whimpers of pain but to no avail. Ferdinand didn’t pay it much mind other than to gauge whether his companion was free from the fallen debris before finally letting the slab slip free of his grasp with a tumultuous clatter, turning to where his classmate had been once more.

“Are you alright?” 

Without so much as an answer, the dim, violet glow of one of Hubert’s incantations illuminated his bitter expression, casting light upon the two of them.  _ “Alright _ isn’t the word I’d use to describe either my thoughts or our current predicament at this point in time.” 

“In that case, I will keep my concerns for your well-being to myself,” Ferdinand responded with a wrinkled pout with a small huff like a spurned child. Though despite his words, he could not hide the furrow of his neatly manicured brows and the way his gaze lingered on his companion’s limbs, bidding them to move without falter. 

“I’d appreciate that,” Hubert scoffed as he set about the process of levering himself to his feet. He took care to gauge his surroundings, in an attempt to keep any more debris from becoming displaced and tumbling down upon the two of them. Pointedly trying his best not to pay any mind to Ferdinand as the troublesome noble watched him like a hawk observing a dormouse slipping from its hollow.

Pain alighted his senses as he cautiously struggled to get to his feet while maintaining their only light source, stubbornly swallowing down every groan, whimper, and cry that dared to spill from his lips, clenching his jaw so tight that it made his head hurt. As expected, his leg was well and truly broken. 

Unbidden, mirthless laughter bubbled up from within. What a terrible ordeal he had found himself in. He would be no better had he amputated his own leg to free himself, as either way, he would have only a single leg to stand on in a cave full of monsters that he had heard skulking about even before that fool, von Aegir, had decided to make his lifeforce known. And more importantly, he had no idea what had become of Lady Edelgard while practically being entombed here in the underbelly of this place. 

Speaking of which, with Ferdinand present, he would have to consistently watch out not only for himself but for him too. Not to mention, unlike himself, Ferdinand had neither tact nor stealth and from the look of things, wasn’t in any better of a state to be of much help. He’d simply have to work with what little resources he had. Though perhaps if he became too much of a burden, he could simply sacrifice Ferdinand to one of the beasts that dwelled within the ruins to grant him some peace of mind for a while.

“Hubert, this is not the time for hysterics!” Ferdinand said sternly in some rather ridiculous attempt to take control of the situation, a situation in which he had no business in trying to take hold of. He had nothing to offer, as unarmed and as obtuse as he was. In all likelihood, Ferdinand would be more apt to get the pair of them killed.

“Hysterics?” He repeated with a scowl. Suddenly that offhanded thought about feeding Ferdinand to the beasts within the catacombs started to sound just that much more appealing. 

“These aren’t hysterics, von Aegir. I find it to be an adequate reaction to the scenario of which we’ve found ourselves in.” He turned to face Ferdinand, his classmate’s face painted with the agitation he clearly felt to rival his own. Of course he’d be upset about something as petty as his behavior. He wasn’t of a sound enough mind to find anything else to exert his limited intelligence towards aside from boasting about his own tomes of competence, or in Hubert’s honest opinion,  _ lack thereof. _

“Still, we should not give up hope. If your leg is broken, I will just have to carry you out!” The determination behind his words was practically sickening. 

“I would prefer that you don’t. Should you happen to tromp over any other devices, I’d prefer to stay intact rather than have the both of us perish for your misstep.” 

“A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed,” Ferdinand huffed once more after a moment of hesitation, swallowing down that same fear. 

“Is that right?” 

Confidence flooded back into Ferdinand’s features, rooting itself deep enough to bring out his true ire. “I understand that you do not wish to work with me, Hubert.”

“An understatement if ever there were one,” Hubert commented dryly.

“...And I too do not wish to work with you. But I am willing to do what I must to ensure that both of us will find our way out. Though it may not amount to much, I am willing to put aside our differences to do what must be done!” 

Ferdinand’s speech was nearly identical to a conversation he had had with Ferdinand in the past when brushing out the knight’s horses as one of their professor’s absurd attempts to force the pair of them to get along. It had worked at the moment, though after it was all said and done, they had gone back to being at odds yet again.

“For Lady Edelgard’s sake, I will comply…  _ for now.”  _ With a pinched expression about him, Hubert sighed and relented, lifting his piercing gaze to hold Ferdinand in place as if by knifepoint, driving his words into his companion’s memory with a subtle threat. 

Lips parting minutely, Ferdinand nodded deliberately, before eventually pausing and shaking away whatever tomfoolery had clung to his thoughts, muttering something undecipherable until he came to his senses, refocusing on him.

“Y-Yes, of course! I would expect nothing less!” Thrusting a hand down towards him, he gestured a nod of his head toward it. “Let me make use of myself in our brief partnership then and allow me to help you to your feet.” 

Skeptical of what Ferdinand’s intentions may be, Hubert scanned him with an icy glare, searching for whatever his peer had attempted to conceal from him in the moment prior. 

In the brief time he had known the von Aegir heir, he had suspected him to be just as bumbling and pompous as his father. Of course, he had been proven wrong -- though he wouldn’t say Ferdinand was much better -- but still, he had observed him enough to know that just as Ferdinand had no capacity for stealth, he also had no capacity for keeping secrets. But the flicker of  _ something _ in his eyes, something akin to hope rather than intimidation to combat the shadiness of his own nor even the mounting frustration of this entire scenario, well, needless to say, it intrigued him and he accepted the offered hand with adeptly sealed interest. 

* * *

Getting Hubert to his feet and adjusting the pair of them to keep the dark mage at the ready -- in case the pair of them happened across anything else in the underground corridor -- proved to be a much more difficult task than either of them had assumed it to be. For one thing, Hubert was decently taller than him and for another, the ground beneath them was uneven and rocky, shifting underfoot as they attempted to rearrange each other in a manner that suited them. 

Needless, to say, there were plenty of insults thrown despite their momentary truce and even more awkward fumbling to get a proper hold on each other without falling victim to the treacherous debris below. Eventually, the two of them did manage it with Hubert’s right arm slung securely over Ferdinand’s shoulder, balancing some of his weight on his shorter counterpart as he held him steady with a firm hand on his hip. Neither were to speak of the moments leading up to them finally catching their footing ever again, though they were coming away somewhat more bruised than before.

With Hubert’s spellcraft casting a small measure of illumination, a goddess-send that cut through the darkness, they were able to gauge the impossibility of climbing out of the ruins from where they fell. All the way up to the ceiling of the corridor they found themselves in was cluttered with rubble. 

There seemed to be quite a lot barricading the room’s opening, keeping them partitioned off from their companions up above. Obviously, they wouldn’t be able to escape that way and would have to go deeper into the ruins to find a way out. That is, if they could find a way out. 

Just looking at the wall of rubble towering all the way up to the shallow ceiling twisted Ferdinand’s stomach into knots and forced bitter bile up his throat. 

What could have become of their classmates and professor? 

Were they alright? 

Were they even alive? 

Or were they dead?

Did they succumb to the collapse of the corridor as he and Hubert had but instead met a terrible fate?

_ “Don’t.”  _

The young noble flinched as he heard the low and dire voice of his classmate tucked against him, pulling his attention back to Hubert. He hadn’t a clue as to whether he was speaking to him or some unseeable force in the shadows that couldn’t be bothered to allow itself to be illuminated by the spellbound light source in the dark mage’s palm.

“If you continue to think so helplessly, we will surely die. Do it again and I will be forced to kill you and put you out of your misery,” Hubert stated firmly, readjusting his grip on Ferdinand’s shoulder. 

Ferdinand found himself somewhat surprised that Hubert was able to read him in the low lighting but furthermore, he wasn’t upset about it or intimidated. No, it was... It was actually grounding in a way. If he panicked or lost his cool and confidence then not only would he perish, Hubert would too. Hubert, whose presence he had never felt any amount of comfort or calm standing in  _ needed him.  _ He was injured and in need of an ally in this unnerving abyss. The last thing he needed was for Ferdinand himself to become a liability.

Wryly he couldn’t help but sigh, taking a moment to collect his wits in an attempt to alleviate whatever doubts sat heavy on his unlikely companion’s mind. “You are right, Hubert. I will keep my worries in check, but still I cannot help but feel uneasy in light of it all.”

“Hm. I won’t try to mislead you or paint over the grim reality of our situation, though I am certain that your mind will grasp other things to concern itself before this is over.” 

A fair point indeed. It wasn’t out of the realm of reality for another monster to stalk them or for the pair of them to come across yet another trap like the one that sent them here in the first place. 

“Then let us be off at once. The sooner we’re off, the sooner we can put this all behind us!” Ferdinand stated, garnering as much optimism as he could muster. For his efforts, he was granted a small huff from Hubert and with that, the two of them set off shakily navigating within the shadows.


End file.
